Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/617826
J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6 / S C T 21 Soft light illuminates the shops' ex- quisitely packaged merchandise within walls painted in auspicious garnet. And this merchandise does not come cheap. High-quality ginseng is priced at $790 per tael (1.3 ounces). Cordyceps sell for a whopping $3,000 per tael, but they are, many Chinese believe, essential for u YAn SAng iS no conventional pharmacy or health-food store. At this Singapore-based chain, which operates also in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Australia, 21st-century retailing converges with traditional Chi- nese medicine. not that there are any rhinoceros horns or tiger bones to be had here. Eu Yan Sang sells no such controversial fare, but it does carry a line of some 300 Eu Yan Sang–branded natural health and wellness supplements. These formulas are rooted in knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, to boost the body's natural energy flow, strengthen blood circulation and increase mental clarity. women in postnatal stage. Lingzhi spore capsules, though, are much more afford- able — a mere $104 per bottle. Consumers anxious about environ- mental pollution or questionable food quality in China have been receptive to Eu Yan Sang and other health chains that preach yang sheng (nourishing life) and shi bu (dietetic invigoration) — key concepts from TCM that are already cemented in East and Southeast Asian culture. in 2013 the Hurun Report, which tracks trends among high-net- worth individuals in China, found per- sonal health to be the top concern. over 80 percent of these affluent people buy health supplements regularly and even set aside money toward unexpected health issues (the latter happens to be a big reason for China's high savings rate, sources say). Even those relying E Just the medicine Eu yan sang marriEs traditional chinEsE rEmEdiEs to modErn rEtailing By Brady Ng r E T a i l i n g T o d a y